Case Study in Motivation Lauren Van Hook University Of New England Motivational Theory and Classroom Management Fall

2010 December - 2010

I.Introduction: JP is a 16 year old Junior in my 2A Global Studies Course. JP has been diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder and had his IEP reviewed in July of 2009. As outlined in his IEP, JP falls in the 12th percentile of cognitive ability, with significant variability in all areas that were tested. JPs strengths are in the areas of verbal reasoning and processing speed while he struggles with working memory. When tested for his IEP it was noted that JP tends to answer questions impulsively, while failing to check his work for accuracy. JP benefits from structured classrooms with teachers and support staff who can redirect his attention and behavior as needed. Information collected from last years teachers indicate that JP is concerned about his grades and attempts to participate in classroom activities on a daily basis. His greatest strengths were in grasping content that was presented visually with hands on activities and with additional time allowed to formulate answers. JP is able to write a five paragraph essay when provided a graphic organizer and enjoyed reading aloud in class when called upon. In addition to this JPs teachers noted that JP is able to understand more complex assignments when they were broken down into smaller parts or explained in different formats. JP is currently enrolled in 5 academic classes and 3 electives. All of the academic classes are at the inclusion level, and either have two teachers (one Content Teacher and one Special Education Teacher) or one teacher with an in-class support paraprofessional. During the first marking period JP passed all of his classes, except for Elements of Algebra which indicates an Incomplete. His grades for the first marking period

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Case Study in Motivation

include: 1 A, 2 Bs, 2 Cs, 1 D and 1 F. At this point in time JP is currently passing 6 out of 8 classes, with the Fs being in Elements of Algebra and Science and Society. JP has only missed 4 days of school, however he as 10 tardies to class. In addition to his academic schedule JP has a full block of Study Skills, which is a graded and structured HAP that offers students guided homework assistance with a Special Education Teacher who is responsible for checking with JP and his teacher to see what additional support systems and modifications are needed. JPs Study Skills teacher noted that JP struggles with organization and needs to remember to bring homework and assignments with him to class to complete. Socially JP struggles to fit in as he is very self conscious about his weight and body image. JP likes to joke with his small group of friends, but does not respond well when the jokes turn back to him. As noted in his IEP, JP is talkative and friendly but does not always have the filter needed to be appropriate or to understand the time and place for his behavior. JP realizes this weakness, and is working on improving this behavior. Throughout my interactions with JP this year I have noticed he suffers from dramatic mood swings and needs instant gratification. If JP has a question and you do not call upon or assist him immediately he reverts to child like behavior and temper tantrums. JP is an impulsive student who is easily ruffled by other students. Knowing this, JPs peers will pick on him to see how big of a reaction JP will have in front of the class. These reactions have lead to JPs removal from class and the need for a Behavior Modification Plan. At this point in time the Behavior Modification Plan has been implemented and added to JPs IEP.

II.Observations: a. Culture Review and Quest Observation: As part of a culminating activity to the Culture Unit JP was asked to take part in a review session where he was to work with a partner to prepare for his Culture Quest. For the review session students were asked to select one of three writing prompts and prepare a graphic organizer, outline or Venn Diagram to be used on the quest the following class. While working on this assignment JP was paired up with another student in class that he is friendly with. JP began the assignment by reading through the writing prompts and selecting to write a letter to a friend describing his experience and exposure to different cultures. As JP worked on the outline of his letter he quickly became frustrated and reverted to inappropriate comments and behavior towards his partner Denise. JP started the rough draft of his letter by saying Dear Denise, I hate you and have nothing nice to say about culture. When this behavior was observed JP was reminded about the value of the assignment and the upcoming quest next class. Despite this JP and Denise continued to make inappropriate comments towards each other and were later separated; they were asked to work on the study guide independently. At the end of the block the class was reminded about the importance of completing a rough draft of their writing choice to be used on the quest next class. JP asked questions about what he could use on the quest and how much time he would have to complete the assignment. During the next block JP came prepared with his notes and study guide. JP earned an 80% on the Culture Quest. The major motivational strategy used for this assignment was Self-

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Case Study in Motivation

Determination Theory and Goal Orientation Theory. Although JP did not see much value in the review session at first, he did see the significance of the Culture Quest. This behavior relates closely to Self-Determination Theory and the idea that students can be amotivated if they do not see intrinsic or extrinsic benefits to the task. JP also tends to determine how much effort he will exhibit when he compares himself to his peers; as is indicated in the use of performance goal setting. When JP was working with Denise he quickly lowered his performance goals, despite the fact that JP does have the desire to pass the class and do well in school. b. Webquest Observation: JP was observed in class during a webquest assignment in the library. The assignment asked students to visit five different websites to read an article and answer questions in a packet. The directions stated that the assignment would be graded for details, accuracy and grammar. Students were given the choice of working on their own or with peers but each student must turn in the webquest by the end of the block. JP opted to work with a partner to complete the webquest. Through my observations JP worked well with his peers and was not combative during the block. There were a few instances where he was off task, and needed to be redirected to stop the behavior so he could complete the webquest. When JP had a question, he raised his hand and stayed focused when recording his answers. JP seemed to benefit from the experience of picking his own partner for the assignment as his outbursts were minimal and he earned a 100% on the webquest. This behavior relates directly to Goal Orientation Theory and Social Cognitive

Theory as JP displayed great ability in completing the task and high levels of self efficacy in showcasing his computer abilities. I believe the use of Social Cognitive Theory benefited JP in this instance because he was able to observe his peers working diligently on their assignment and he did not wan to seem like he did not fit in with his peers by causing distractions. This theory is also connected to performance goals and the desire to be at the same ability level as ones peers. c. Observation at beginning of class: JP began class prior to the bell starting by threatening to back hand another student if she did not behave and follow through with what he asked of her. The student did not respond to JPs remark but did take her seat and try to ignore him. Despite this, JP continued to threaten her verbally and by making inappropriate gestures. JP was asked to go to the hall so his behavior could be discussed; however he refused to go into the hallway and became verbally abusive. JP began to use a litany of curse words and stated he believed he was being singled out unfairly and did not wish to discuss his behavior or actions. As JP was leaving the room he continued to curse and be verbally abusive to his classmates and teacher. I tried this logic to relate to the Attribution Theory with the idea that JP does not like negative attention called to him when his behavior is being discussed. The concept behind Attribution Theory was the belief that JP would benefit from having his behavior redirected while not reinforcing any negative prior experiences. After checking in with the office JP was placed in In-SchoolSuspension (ISS) where he asked to have his assignments delivered to him to complete. Despite JPs behavior he continued to show performance oriented

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Case Study in Motivation

goals by completing the assignments he missed in class and staying after school in the homework help club to catch up on the work he missed in class. d. Religion Project Group Work and Presentation Observation: JP was observed over a period of time while working with another student in class on a Religion Project. The project has multiple components which are designed to have students showcase their ability to complete research in the library, write a research paper, create a visual and present information on their assigned religion to the class. For the project JP studied the religion of Buddhism, which he was not familiar with prior to his research. While working on the paper element in the writing lab JP had to independently compose a 3 page research paper that required him to use the notes he took in the library. JP was able to compose the paper but needed consistent redirection to complete the task. JP seemed to doubt his ability and knowledge and wanted continuous appraisal and confirmation from the teacher. For the visual component of the project JP and his partner struggled to divide the tasks evenly. Both students were concerned about their grades and had different ideas on how the visual should be drawn. To help ease the process, I guided the students and had them divide the visual in half; with both students being responsible for one side of the poster. This process was also used to help JP and his partner decide who would present the information to the class. By dividing the tasks fairly, both students were able to complete the required elements of the project without fighting over responsibilities. This project relied heavily on Expectancy-Value Theory and Social

Cognitive Theory. JP realized there was tremendous value in completing the task in order to pass for the marking period. This value was demonstrated in his desire to have control over the outcome of the presentation and required elements of the project. JP also showed great self-efficacy in his ability to compose a paper, create a visual and present information to the class. III.Effective Strategies: Based on my observations of JP, the reading of his IEP, and collaboration with other faculty members I believe JP benefits from lessons and activities that rely heavily on Goal Orientation Theory. By using this theory JP is able to set performance goals and mastery goals that coincide with his abilities. As is outlined in is IEP, JP sees himself pursing a two or four year degree at a local college to gain employment in a competitive field. Although JP is not sure of what type of job he would like when he graduates, he hopes to develop the necessary skills to find a job and support himself one day. With this in mind the use of Goal Orientation Theory can be directly applied to the need to develop disciplined study habits now. Sometimes JP may not realize this is necessary, therefore it is important to set performance goals for JP that are relevant to JPs interests and plans for the future. When given the choice JP responds best to work that allows him to work in small groups where the tasks for group members are clearly outlined. Due to the fact that JP does not get along well with many of his peers the teacher must take careful precautions when selecting group members to work with JP. Proper planning must be used when designing lessons that involve group work; with the suggestion that group members complete a self assessment and/or peer assessment at the end of the activity. Teachers

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Case Study in Motivation

should structure this activity buy using a performance-approach and explain to the students that evaluation is based on students showcasing their ability when compared to all group members. Through observing JP I noticed this strategy worked well because he enjoys the assessment piece of group work and the feeling of being accountable for his actions as well as holding his partner(s) accountable for theirs. To help avoid outbursts in class and establish clear expectations for the year it is helpful to have a conference with JP, his case manager, his mom and the vice principal in September or as soon as disruptive behavior occurs. By putting forth this effort JP feels included in the decision making process because he is able to provide examples of ways to help him diffuse when he is stressed or anxious. I participated in a meeting this year with JP and was able to gather helpful hints for working with him as well as his logic behind his behavior. This practice relates heavily to the theory of differentiated instruction and using students input when developing lessons, procedures and activities for the class. As was studied in the Differentiated Instruction course, students are more likely to participate in class activities when they believe they have a voice in the class. In addition to this it is important to establish and post clear guidelines on behavior expectations for JP. JP must be exposed to continuous modeling of the expected behavior as well as making a conscious effort to uphold all students to the same expectation level, with the same consequences for misbehaving or not completing an assignment. If JP feels the rules are not equitable, frustrations will occur and he will vocalize his thoughts on the situation. In turn this leads to further outbursts from JP and unnecessary criticism from his peers. I would not recommend the use of Attribution Theory when working with JP. JP

has many mixed prior experiences and does not always respond well to lessons and examples that ask him to draw on these for understanding, as is necessary with Attribution Theory. As a student who comes from a single parent home with the absence of any positive male role models JP struggles to identify with many family related examples/experiences. After discussion with JPs case manager it was noted that JP did not do well in classrooms with male teachers because he does not have positive experiences with male figures and he is more combative when a male teacher tries to correct his behavior. Attribution Theory also relies on the ideas of stability, locus, and control. These three concepts are interconnected in many ways, all of which are challenging areas for JP. Stability is difficult to maintain in the classroom because students arrive with different background experiences and emotional levels. Locus relies on internal and external triggers, which also vary among students. Control is based on the ability of students to have a direct impact on the outcome of an event. JP struggles with controlling his behavior and actions; therefore lessons that rely on students to control the situation are a struggle for JP. As was outlined in the pre-class observation, JP struggled to maintain control of his behavior and had to be removed from class for threatening another student.

IV.Conclusion: Through my observations of JP I have found it fascinating to see how different theories of motivation affect the motivational levels of students. Due to the age of my students I found Goal Orientation Theory was very popular among the students because they are conscientious of the need to develop disciplined study habits and mastery goals

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Case Study in Motivation

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because they relate their success to their peers. It is not uncommon to find students discussing grades with peers; this often leads to students developing higher levels of motivation to perform as well as or better than their friends. This example is clearly demonstrated in many of the group work observations noted above. While Goal Orientation Theory was the most popular method among students many of JPs classmates also responded well to activities that were related to Attribution Theory because they were able to draw upon past experiences to relate to the content. As I learned from my observation this theory can have mixed results because students come from drastically different homes and experiences; all of which affect the stability, locus and control of the classroom. The time spent observing JP has been both rewarding and heart wrenching; when JP is focused he shows considerable concern for his grades and success in the course. He can be polite, respectful and participate in classroom activities. At moments like this JP is well liked by his peers and be considered one of the best students in the class. However, on an off day, JP is unapproachable and disrespectful to all members of the classroom. At times JP has used verbal threats to express his anger which included the desire to back-hand and slice a student. Due to this behavior I met with JPs case manager, vice principal, dean and mom to discuss the outbursts. JP was placed on a Behavior Modification Plan that outlined clear expectations for him to follow in his classes and suggestions for his teachers to help JP cope with the frustrations he is experiencing. Suggestions included redirecting JP, talking to him calmly one-on-one and providing him with a break from the source of his frustration. Despite the behavior plan and efforts of his peers and myself it was

determined that JP could not remain in my Global Studies class because there were too many peers that caused JP to have outbursts. JPs schedule was changed in the hopes that a new environment would help JP. Although I am disappointed with the fact that I am not able to work with JP longer and fully see if Goal Orientation Theory based lessons and activities would provide JP further motivational assistance; I am hopeful that JP will continue to work on his reaction to others and setbacks that he may encounter. I have spoken to his new teacher about JPs desire to fit in and do well in his classes with the hopes that he she can continue to provide him the structure and consistency that he needs. For now JP seems to be adjusting to the schedule change, as there are less students that he has had conflicts with in his new class.